CTL Strategies ranked in Chambers Global Guide 2024
CTL Strategies has been ranked in the Chambers Global Guide 2024, published by Chambers and Partners.
The new edition of the Global Guide highlighted CTL for its considerable market respect in tax matters, and demonstrating strength in litigation and corporate services. Among responses received from interviewees, Chamber and Partners quoted that the firm is “able to handle complex matters and provide unbiased legal advice.”
Chambers and Partners is an independent research firm that operates in 200 jurisdictions and is commonly referred to as the “gold standard” in the legal profession. Chambers and Partners publishes rankings and information on the world’s top lawyers and law firms. In-depth interviews with lawyers, in-house counsel for clients, and independent experts were used to compile the rankings.
MIRA Launches the Maldives Guest Information System for Green Tax Administration
On 1 October 2026, the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) officially launched the Maldives Guest Information System (“MGIS”). The MGIS serves as a centralized digital platform for collecting, validating and maintaining guest stay information across tourist establishments for Green Tax administration. Under the system, a trip record is created when a tourist clears immigration, against which each establishment records the tourist’s check-in and check-out details. The trip record is subsequently closed upon the tourist’s departure from the Maldives. Guest stay information is intended to be captured on a real-time basis, with the data maintained in MGIS used to prefill Green Tax returns in MIRAconnect. This will replace the existing process of manually uploading Green Tax Information Sheets through MIRAconnect when filing Green Tax returns.
Implementation Timeline
MIRA has established a phased implementation schedule, grouping tourist establishments into two batches based on their room capacity, as follows:
Cut-off date for data upload: 15 December 2026
Cut-off date for data upload: 15 February 2027
Reporting Channels
Guest stay data may be submitted to the MGIS through three primary routes, depending on the implementation stage, operating model and technical readiness of the establishment:
Following mandatory implementation, CSV bulk upload will no longer be available, and establishments must report through either direct portal entry or PMS/API integration. In practice, PMS/API integration is expected to be the preferred approach for establishments with existing property management systems, while smaller establishments may find direct portal entry more practical. However, either method may be adopted depending on operational needs and technical capabilities.
Key Operations Rules and Internal Controls
Taxpayers are advised to take note of the following operational requirements:
MIRA provides an initial Primary User account to each registered entity, which can create up to five Operational Users. Additionally, the MGIS test environment/sandbox is expected to be made available for taxpayers and software vendors to test the workflow prior to integration.
For additional information and technical workflow instructions for MGIS, you may refer to the detailed MGIS Guide published by MIRA.
Proposed Amendment to Tax Administration Act Raises Payment Requirements for Tax Appeals
The Government has submitted a Bill to amend the Tax Administration Act1, proposing significant changes to the amount of tax required to be paid by taxpayers prior to filing an appeal at the Tax Appeal Tribunal
Under the current framework, a taxpayer appealing to a tax assessment made by MIRA under section 39 of the Tax Administration Act is required to pay 25% of the amount in dispute before filing an appeal. The Bill proposes to increase this requirement to 50% of the disputed amount. As currently practiced, this percentage would be calculated on the amount in dispute, excluding any related fines or interest.
In addition to doubling the general amount of tax that must be paid before proceeding with an appeal, the Bill also proposes that 100% of the disputed tax amount must be paid before appealing to the Tax Appeal Tribunal where the assessment relates to any of the following types of transactions:
If enacted, these amendments would materially raise the financial threshold for taxpayers seeking to challenge MIRA assessments before the Tax Appeal Tribunal. The effect would be particularly significant for transfer pricing and other assessments falling within the proposed 100% payment categories, as taxpayers would be required to settle the full amount in dispute before lodging an appeal to the Tax Appeal Tribunal.
The above proposed changes will only take effect once the Bill is passed by the People’s Majlis, ratified by the President and published in the Government Gazette.